BOOK - THE RECORD STORE BOOK

BOOK - HEADLINE RECORDS IS IN THE BOOK !!! THANKS TO MIKE SPITZ & REBECCA VILLANEDA

Record stores are the mecca where music, records, CDs, tapes, memorabilia and human interaction collide. Upon entering, right away you are mesmerized by rock posters on the wall, vinyl in the bins, and jazz, blues, hip-hop, reggae, punk and all other kinds of music oozing out of the speakers that surround the faithful followers of the neighborhood record store. An unstoppable revival is in full swing around the globe these days – vinyl records and an increasing number of record stores coming back to life after a long decline. And yet, there are no published photography books which visually aim to re-create the stimulating experience of being inside these brick-and-mortar storefronts nor which focus on the small business owners who created these spaces – until now.

The Record Store Book – Fifty of Southern California’s Most Iconic and Legendary Record Stores, will be the first photography book about independent record stores. Published by Rare Bird Books, this soon to be released coffee table book will blend colorful imagery from more than 45 record stores and in-depth interviews with store owners to capture the lively experience of the independent record shop and how it provides a communal gathering place for human interaction, exploration and discovery. Captured on color stock film, the book chronicles the oldest existing shops to the most recently opened stores throughout the music capital of Los Angeles and beyond. Each owner shares facts, store history and distinctive points of view regarding the constant changes in how people obtain and appreciate music. The book also explores the overall impact the internet and digital downloading has had on the survival of these music establishments.

In 2011, Mike Spitz began photographing more than 40 record stores in and around the greater Los Angeles area, rich with old and new record shops, to capture the lively experience of going to the used record store, discovering that rare vinyl record, cassette or 8-track tape, memorabilia, vintage concert posters, turntables, nostalgia and other music-related gems. Colorful imagery shot on film and in-depth interviews with store owners illustrate how each American independent record store has a unique and vibrant culture that cultivates a communal gathering place for human interaction, exploration and discovery. In chronological order from the oldest existing stores, such as Canterbury Records that opened in 1956 in Pasadena or Music Man Murray Records that opened in 1962, to the most recently opened stores, The Record Store Book respectfully marks the “changing of the guard” from the older to the newer generation of stores as each owner shares facts, store history, and distinctive points of view regarding how people search for, find and appreciate music.